The Murdock Muse

January and February, 2003
Nancy and Bob Murdock, Editors - murmuse@erols.com

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CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE:
*NEW ADDITION TO THE FAMILY (Darryl Hotaling) Click
*NEXT STEP (Christel M. Murdock) Click
*GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS/GOOD NEWS (Roy Murdock) Click
*CHRISTMAS MUSE (Priscilla Januskiewicz) Click
*DVD!!! (Meri Murdock) Click
*CATS & JACKETS (Meri Murdock) Click
*HOLIDAY GREETINGS (Gene Murdock) Click
*UPDATE FROM REDWOOD CITY (Valerie Davidson) Click
*MOVING ON (Jerod Davidson) Click
*MY FAMILY AT CHRISTMAS (Lori Turner) Click
*A NEW DISCOVERY & OLD FAMILY HISTORY (Priscilla Januskiewicz) Click
*SEVENTY-ONE (Gene Murdock) Click
*DECEMBER 25 (Meri Murdock) Click
*A GREAT SEASON (Gail Schlicke) Click
Click for part 2
*R.I.P. ROBERT B. MURDOCK (Darryl Hotaling) Click
*UPDATE FROM SOUTHAMPTON (Jeanne Tripp) Click
*AVIATION: CATALOGUING AND WRITING (Gene Murdock) Click
*FORGIVENESS (Mary Reese) Click
*CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD (Friends and Relatives) Click
*ANNUAL UPDATE (Scott and Nancy Murdock) Click
*CHRISTMAS AT HUDSON, MA (Carol Howlett) Click
*LOTS OF GREETINGS (Friends and Relatives) Click
*NICE CHRISTMAS PARTY (Polly Soberg) Click
*A GOOD YEAR (Roy, Tami, and Khendra Murdock) Click
*WHITE CHRISTMAS - NOT MY DREAM (Nancy Murdock) Click
Click for part 3
*UPDATE RE MOM (Don Schlicke) Click
*YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT! (Gene Murdock) Click

NEW ADDITION TO THE FAMILY
Darryl Hotaling

Hello! You don't know me, but I feel as though I know you. For years I have read the Murdock Muse in paper format and now on the Web. My name is Darryl Hotaling and on February 2, 2002 (02-02-02) at 2:00 p.m. Keith Murdock (Ken's third son) and I were married by a Justice of the Peace here in Thomaston, CT. It was a sunny, cold day.

Keith and I were married by a woman he knew from his childhood, and after the ceremony she offered us a glass of wine and we sat and talked for about an hour. It made it very special for us. We then went to Olan Mills and had our picture taken and later went to The Mayflower Inn in Washington, CT for a special dinner. We like to say that Conan O'Brien and his drummer, Max Weinberg, were guests at our wedding reception, as they happened to be there while we were dining. It was a delicious meal and superb service. When we first arrived, we had the dining room to ourselves, which made it even more special. It was a wonderful day--we weren't really expecting much, so it made it even more special that it turned out so well.

(Note: Just for the record, I am female and my birthday is September 24.)

NEXT STEP
Christel M. Murdock

Just another quick announcement about my graduation: I will be graduating from Chapman University with a BA degree in Communications, with an emphasis in Public Relations on Saturday May 17th, 2002 at 4:00pm. This is another advanced reminder so that if anyone would like to come, they can get off of work, plane tickets, etc. Also, I am considering going to law school. At the very least, I will prepare for and take the LSAT, and apply to a few schools. I would hope (hope, hope, hope!) to get into Berkeley and Davis, if nothing else... those are the two least expensive/best schools for me to attend, and I think I will be on my own expense-wise, so money will be a huge factor. If only the least expensive schools weren't the most competitive... well.. then I wouldn't want to go to them ;) I enjoy being a part of the best (let's just hope I don't get turned down by the best). I love you very much & hope all is going well.

GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS/GOOD NEWS
Roy Murdock

The latest Muse issue was wonderful as always. It was a great idea from the beginning and you both have done a great job with it.

As you know, Khendra had been homeschooled the past four years. She decided to skip her senior year of high school and go right into college. I'm happy to report it's been a big success so far. She got her report card in the mail today and got A's in all four of her classes, including Honors English.

Now she's hoping we won't have to move so she can continue to go to the same college. My company announced that they are closing our plant at the end of February.

Please say prayers that I can get a good job in this area.

1/11/03 AM: Good news - I got another job today. I'm going to be Purchasing Manager for Lozier Corp. They make store fixtures and sell to 46 different countries. Incredibly, it's just 2 miles from our house!

I'm still at Sunbeam but will be starting at Lozier either the first of February or the first of March. They want me to start the first of February but Sunbeam is trying to get me to stay until the end of February. The President offered me a $6300 retention bonus if I stay until then. I told Lozier I'll start whenever they want me to but I told them about the bonus that I'd get if they can wait until the first of March. We'll see. Either way, I have the job and we can stay right where we are.

Thanks for your prayers!

1/11/03 PM: The degree I'm hoping to get is an MSQA (Master of Science Quality Assurance). It's the only on-line technical degree that I can find that doesn't necessarily require a technical bachelor's degree. It does have a prerequisite of college Calculus, which I took and did well in (97%). A lot of top jobs prefer applicants who have degrees in both business and technical. I like this degree because it is heavy into mathematics. Of course if I don't get accepted, I will go after an MBA.

California State University offers the online MSQA degree. It's only $150 per credit hour, which is an excellent price. The cheapest online MBA degree is $235 per credit hour and most are $330 or higher. (total of 33 credits, or more if prerequisite classes are required). It looks like I would need to take two 3 credit classes in statistics first.

When I interviewed for the job I asked if Lozier would reimburse me for the Master's degree and the Director thought they would, but I will need to present the specifics for approval. I'm also getting my CPM (Certified Purchasing Manager) certificate, which the company definitely pays for, in fact encourages.

Yep, I was burned out on school, but now am ready again. Being a long time away from school has helped, and seeing Dra in college is also a factor.

I was very happy to get this new job. Now, I have gotten 8 out of the last 9 jobs that I interviewed for.

CHRISTMAS MUSE
Priscilla Januskiewicz

The Christmas Muse was very nice and had a lot of interesting contributions. Thank you so much for all your hard work.

On Wednesday I sent you a photocopy of the book, "The Gloucester Fishermen's Institute, 1891-1991." Today I returned the original book to the Nashua library so they could mail it back to the library in Gloucester.

Best Wishes to you both for a Happy and Healthy New Year!

DVD!!!
Meri Murdock

I got a Samsung DVD-S221. The guy told me it was the best one for me. You know what? It makes my TV super clear! The picture is simply gorgeous! Well, I bought a used DVD for my first one. I bought "The Others" - you know, the spooker starring Nicole Kidman? The visuals are really pretty, so I thought it would be a nice one to try. The problem? I played the introduction and now I'm scared! I watched the video on this same TV, but it's scarier on DVD!

CATS & JACKETS
Meri Murdock

I got a beautiful red jacket with cats bordered on the bottom. It's fleece, but it's not a sweatshirt - it's a jacket with buttons.

Magic took over a pink jacket I was wearing - it's on my coffee table, and he sleeps in it. He's not getting the green kitty sweatshirt you gave me (which I have worn a lot this winter) or this new kitty jacket. Funny thing is, I went to Ian's and found their cat Cookie sleeping in Becky's pink jacket!!

HOLIDAY GREETINGS
Gene Murdock

Sending holiday greetings by e-mail is probably considered by some the essence of being tacky, and I fully understand that, but circumstances often dictate otherwise. The inability to write in cursive is a curse which gets worse all the time as I slide further down the slippery chute of mental and physical senility.

To get a card from Dotty, who has a broken right wrist and a broken finger on each hand puts me to shame. And a card from Aunt Ona, several years my senior, with a personal note written in a clear and coherent hand is a joy, yet it further shames me.

The idea of this type of greeting by other than handwritten, snail mailed cards is slowly gaining favor, not necesesarily by choice but by convention or common usage. I recently bought a poster for the aviation museum that was printed in 1929, and said words to the effect that "Sending by air mail is socially correct!" So even back then a change to the customary practice was considered inappropriate and had to be advertised as "acceptable."

Christmas Eve I have been invited to go to "Grandma" Walford's, a dear family friend of my daughter-in-law Robin's for a family gathering of Robin's extended famly. On Christmas Day I will go to Rick and Robin's for the noon meal and to exchange gifts.

I was too ill to get my letter in on time to the Murdock Muse last week, so I will tell my story here. The first Christmas I can specifically remember was around 1938 when I received a beautiful metal, four engine transport airplane. I have a picture of me holding it proudly. This was probably the spark for my life-long love of aviation. But the most memorable Christmases were just a couple of years later, and stand out in my mind because of the embarrassment generated by what happened. In Hubbardston we were all gathered around the tree in Grandpa's room. With us six or so kids was Grandpa Murdock, Aunt Helen and Aunt Erma. Somebody passed me a present to open. The name on it was actually Erma, but the passer had thought it was Eugene, and I never bothered to check. When I opened it and found some ladies unmentionanbles everybody heed and hawed much to my chagrin. The following year we were all gathered in the same situation when I opened a present from Aunt Erma. As I ripped off the paper and opened the box, I spotted a necktie with a Paisley pattern. Now I hate Paisley, and always have, so my first reaction was a grimace and an Ugh!. Aunt Erma was watching and of course was mortified by my actions. What a shame that some of my most memorables Christmases were unhappy ones.

Come the New Year I will be starting out on my quarterly swing of the antique malls, celebrating a birthday on Epiphany, and looking forward to my own personal festive day, "Coldest Day," on Janary 21st, when the season really starts edging towards spring.

Happy Holidays to you all!

UPDATE FROM REDWOOD CITY
Valerie Davidson

Since the (inevitable) crashing and burning of my long career in prepress, I have had to make-do, and this has been a slow and sometimes scary process that is still evolving and taking on the shape of things to come. My original plans haven't really changed much, but the road to them has changed from paved freeway to footpath(!) --at times, anyway. I am very poor! But poor in dollars, not spirit, be it known!

My current income derives from both substitute teaching in the local high schools, and teaching traffic violator school on weekends, per the DMV. All of this serves to convince me that I want to teach, just as I thought. The disadvantage of doing it in this manner is mainly financial, leaving me constantly on the edge of my seat about "tomorrow."

But...I have been studying Spanish this year, and next year will pursue my teaching credential (in night school). This is the biggest mountain to climb, so I try to approach the entire daunting mission with the same optimism and diligence I practiced earlier in my life, when I first had to form a career from vague dreams. At least I am committed to this course now--there's no turning back!

Just a couple more years of student poverty and I can switch to teacher poverty. Can't wait!

MOVING 0N
Jerod Davidson

I had a great time at the 50th gathering and find myself telling someone about it at least once a month! As for my back, it's day to day, some days it's just fine, other days ouch I can hardly move, but it's definitely more on the pain free side than it was 2 yrs ago. I moved in to my new house with my roommate Dan and it's going pretty good. I bought a badly needed lamp and some various work clothes and it was nice to shop after Christmas with all the sales they were having.

MY FAMILY AT CHRISTMAS
Lori Turner

This year my grandson got tons of presents and it was so much fun watching him open his presents as he was excited about each one. At 3 1/2 years old, they know more about Christmas.

My cousin in WI sent me a box full of presents and I had a blast opening them. My son is in Australia now on his carrier ship so he was not able to get leave to come home for Christmas, but I sure missed him. I communicate with him several times a week, which I enjoy.

Wishing you a GREAT year in 2003.

A NEW DISCOVERY & OLD FAMILY HISTORY
Priscilla Januskiewicz

There have been many stories passed down through the years about my Swedish great-grandfather, Rev. Emanuel Carlson Charlton, (Grandpa Allen Charlton's father.) I knew he had been a deep sea sailor and had given his life to God after being shipwrecked for two months off the coast of Africa at the age of 18. After training to become a Methodist minister and becoming a US citizen, he served as pastor in several churches in New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts. I had read in his memoirs, "A Family Mirror," of how he had founded The Fishermen's Institute in Gloucester, Massachusetts in 1891. This was a mission for giving comfort and encouragement to men of the sea. So whenever I visited Gloucester and walked on Duncan Street, I always wondered exactly where the institute had been and what it had looked like. And whenever I saw the statue of the Gloucester fisherman at the helm, I remembered that it had been Emanuel's wish to erect this monument as a memorial to "they that go down to the sea in ships." I knew that it was his wife, Bellona, who had unknowingly started the annual tradition (still practiced today) of scattering flowers upon the outgoing tide in memory of the fishermen who had died. But recently I learned a little more.

A few months ago I sent a note to the Cape Ann Historical Association in Gloucester and asked if they would be interested in copies of old photographs of Emanuel and his family. The archivist called me immediately and said they would be very happy to receive them and then casually mentioned the fact that a book had been written in 1991 entitled, "The Gloucester Fishermen's Institute, 1891-1991: A Social Center for Men of the Sea." When I expressed surprise that such a book had been written, she quickly called the author, Martha Oaks, to see if there was an extra copy available, but to no avail. Only a few hundred of these paperbacks were printed by the institute and they are very hard to come by. She suggested I borrow a copy from the Gloucester library, so that's what I did, through an inter-library loan. When the book arrived I hastily glanced through it and found an 1899 photo of Emanuel and his family right at the beginning, and Emanuel's name on page after page throughout the first half of the book. There were photos of the exterior and interior of the institute as well, on the cover and inside. I no longer had to wonder what it looked like, and there were even pictures of some of the men who came to visit. I learned how the building came to be demolished (in 1974), and that the Senior Center was the last meeting place used (in 1991).

Emanuel Charlton cared deeply about the fishermen who came to Gloucester. He called them the "flotsam and jetsam of human wreckage," and they came from many countries and from all walks of life He welcomed them all: the drunk, the discouraged, the down-trodden, and "treated none as hopelessly lost." He provided assistance in the form of food, low-priced lodging, navigational instruction and reading material. But most important of all were the religious services, for he cared greatly about men's souls. The building and the men are gone now, but many of these souls are living on in eternity.

I was happy to find this book, for now I know so much more about my great- grandfather Emanuel, a servant of God and a fisher of men.

SEVENTY-ONE
Gene Murdock

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! I re-read last year's article on Turning Seventy and wondered who that energetic nut was that wrote that! I'm concentrating pretty much on my vintage aviation work, cataloguing the Aviation Museum library, collecting books and artifacts, and writing articles for them.

I celebrated my birthday with a fun afternoon. I had watched portions of the movie "Ice Age" over at the grand-kids, but usually in bits and pieces with a lot of background noise and interruptions, so I bought my own copy. I put it in my new DVD player, cut myself a slice of birthday cake, added a couple of scoops of Neapolitan ice cream, poured a tall glass of ginger ale and sat back and watched the whole charming movie from start to finish. It was great!

I'm finishing up all my annual and semi-annual doctor visits and passing with flying colors. Now if I could just lose that weight I gained over the winter! I walk a mile in the malls in the morning and a mile or more outdoors in the afternoon when the weather permits, and hope to increase the distances by a mile a week.

DECEMBER 25
Meri Murdock

Last night Ian barbecued steaks and this morning we all round-robin-ed opening presents. Sean came for both activities. I got a bunch of cute stuff including a leopard top, a little brown purse, perfume (in a gorgeous pink bottle), bath stuff, a kitty towel and potholder, a cat calendar, a velvet cat poster to color, a stuffed grey kitten, and a big holiday Garfield especially from Tim. Too bad I'm not too fond of cats - hee, hee!!

Where did you spend Christmas? I'd love to hear about it.

A GREAT SEASON
Gail Schlicke

It's wonderful to see how everyone is having such a great season. God Bless.

As I believe everyone knows, Lennie Schlicke is suffering from a quickly advancing Alzheimer's disease. If anyone would like to write to Lennie's husband Bob Schlicke, who also lost his twin sister this year, he is still at his longtime address.

Happy Holidays to all...

Gail Schlicke (Lennie and Bob's son Kevin's wife, and mother of Kyle, 4, and Brian, 7.)

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